Your Ireland checklist

Do I need special shoes for walking? What about the weather? What type of currency will I need? Packing for a trip means many questions. Our Ireland Travel Checklist has the answers

Clothes

We’re not going to pretend that it’s blue skies all the way on the island of Ireland, that being said, the sunshine we do get (and we do get sunshine) feels all the more glorious due to its somewhat rarer nature.

Veteran visitor to Ireland, Gerry Britt from Virgina, USA, shares his wisdom, “Trust me, once the rain stops and the sun comes out (and it soon will) you’ll be in awe of the scenery before you can shake the drops off your jacket. The Irish sky after a soft rain is breathtaking.”

We’ve a saying that goes “There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing”, in other words, a little planning goes a long way. Gerry, who’s seen all 32 counties and describes himself as “assembled in America from Irish parts,” explains: “Packing for Irish weather can be summed up in one word: layers. T-shirts, light sweaters, a good waterproof jacket, a waterproof hat, and good walking/hiking shoes.”

Moving onto less formal wear, admittedly it takes a hardy spirit to swim in our seas, but do pack swimwear for those beaches – they’ll be golden, glorious, usually deserted and begging for you to dive straight in. A pair of sunglasses is always a good idea to protect your eyes from hail, rain and wind – and for when the sun does shine. And last but not least, walking is one of the pleasures of Ireland so, bring a solid pair of walking boots or at least a comfortable pair of trainers.

Gadgets

Views and picture-perfect moments tend to pop up a lot in Ireland so a camera is a must. Don't forget the battery charger and spare memory cards for it either – a common mistake!

We’ve found a bunch of useful apps that we’d highly recommend, and don’t forget you can create your very own Ireland Scrapbook from the bits and pieces on our website that catch your eye.

Plugs for all your gadgets are three-pronged and the electricity supply is 230v 50hz – the same as in Britain. So it’s always a good idea to bring a couple of adapters for your various gadgets.

Currency

The currency used in the Republic of Ireland is the euro (€) while Northern Ireland’s currency is the pound sterling (£). Visa and Mastercard are credit cards generally accepted. Beware that an American Express card is not as widely accepted. Credit cards can also be used to access money from ATMs. Just look for the symbol on your card that matches the ATM.

Traveller’s Cheques are not widely used and most banks won’t accept them. We advise to bring cash or cards instead.

When you finally arrive

Expert as he is on coming and going, Gerry has a little more advice for when you arrive: “transfer your clothes to one bag and leave the other for all your purchases. This way, you’re not rummaging through both bags looking for dry socks while destroying those turf Christmas ornaments, Belleek vases, and Waterford Crystal goblets. Aran sweaters are better than Styrofoam for cushioning.” Good tip, Gerry.

Ratings provided by TripAdvisor Check out what other travellers say about Ireland and Ireland Hotels on TripAdvisor.

Ireland.com uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies from Ireland.com.